Design Observations: Seattle, Washington Celebrating the Art of Dale Chihuly

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was introduced to the art of Dale Chihuly at one of my client’s homes close to 20 years ago while designing a family room and library sitting area in an addition of her 1870’s rustic farmhouse. For years I had admired the historical property and was relishing our collaboration on the design project. As we finalized the floor plan and fabric selections, my client graciously invited me to tour the rest of her lovely home.

As I was absorbing all of the architectural details and admiring the remarkable period craftsmanship of the home, I spotted a fabulous art glass sculpture on her living room end table. I cannot recall to this day what her color scheme was or how the room was decorated, but I can recall every aspect of her stunning art glass!

The morning sun was shining through the rich, green ripples of the glass and it took on a life of its own. It reminded me of a living sea creature – so fluid and organic yet created entirely of hand blown glass. As I admired the piece, my client fondly stated, “That’s my Chihuly!” A Chihuly?! I was thinking, what in the world is a Chihuly?! My client, who collects fine art, explained Dale Chihuly’s history, his art and how she came to purchase the piece many years earlier at an art festival. She was passionate about the artist and his work. I was intrigued, and to this day I hope to acquire a piece of Dale’s work.

So fast forward many years later to Seattle, WA and imagine my joy when I learned there was an entire exhibit dedicated to Chihuly’s work, or should I say his masterpieces.

I hope you enjoy my photos and the quotes I’ve chosen to represent each gallery. If you are traveling to Seattle, WA and can only visit one attraction, you must go to the Chihuly Garden and Glass exhibition. It is located in Seattle’s City Center within walking distance of the iconic Space Needle. If you are working in Seattle, I insist you break for lunch and take the monorail to the exhibit. You can dine in their fabulously delicious café, explore the bookstore and experience the creative genius of Dale Chihuly firsthand.

I travel all over the country and my visit to Chihuly Garden and Glass was one of my favorite highlights for 2012! A special thank you to Jeffrey Wright, Chairman of the Space Needle, and to Dale Chihuly; may you both continue to inspire generations of patrons with the extraordinary beauty of your new landmark, Chihuly Garden and Glass.

I’ve included Dale Chihuly’s bio below, courtesy of www.chihulygardenandglass.com:

Born in 1941 in Tacoma, Washington, Dale Chihuly was introduced to glass while studying interior design at the University of Washington. After graduating in 1965, Chihuly enrolled in the first glass program in the country, at the University of Wisconsin. He continued his studies at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), where he later established the glass program and taught for more than a decade.

In 1968, after receiving a Fulbright Fellowship, he went to work at the Venini glass factory in Venice. There he observed the team approach to blowing glass, which is critical to the way he works today. In 1971, Chihuly cofounded Pilchuck Glass School in Washington State. This international glass center has led the avant-garde in the development of glass as a fine art.

His work is included in more than 200 museum collections worldwide. He has been the recipient of many awards, including eleven honorary doctorates and two fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Chihuly has created more than a dozen well-known series of works, among them, Cylinders and Baskets in the 1970s; Seaforms, Macchia, Venetians, and Persians in the 1980s; Niijima Floats and Chandeliers in the 1990s; and Fiori in the 2000s. He is also celebrated for large architectural installations. In 1986, he was honored with a solo exhibition, Dale Chihuly objets de verre, at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Palais du Louvre, in Paris. In 1995, he began Chihuly Over Venice, for which he created sculptures at glass factories in Finland, Ireland and Mexico, then installed them over the canals and piazzas of Venice.

In 1999, Chihuly mounted an ambitious exhibition, Chihuly in the Light of Jerusalem; more than one million visitors attended the Tower of David Museum to view his installations. In 2001, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London presented the exhibition Chihuly at the V&A. Chihuly’s affinity for glasshouses has grown in a series of exhibitions within botanical settings. His Garden Cycle began in 2001 at the Garfield Park Conservatory in Chicago. Chihuly exhibited at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London, in 2005. Other prestigious garden exhibitions include New York Botanical Garden (2006), Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden (2006, 2007) and Missouri Botanical Garden (2007). Recent major exhibition venues include the de Young Museum in San Francisco, in 2008, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, in 2011.

For more information, visit www.chihulygardenandglass.com.